Sharpei is a breed of guard and hunting dogs, and in ancient times, fighting dogs originally from China, one of the oldest breeds. It belongs to the type of moloss-like dogs and is known for such distinctive features as unusually deep folds of skin and a blue-black tongue.
An active and well-built dog of medium size. Folds on the skull and shoulders, small ears and a "hippopotamus" muzzle give the sharpey a unique look. In 1978, the sharpey was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the rarest breed in the world at that time.
History of the breed
Hypotheses about the origin
Very little is known about the origin of Chinese dogs, besides, most of the documents that could help clarify the origin of dogs in China, along with other books, were destroyed by Emperor Qin Shi Huang in 213 BC. Two main theories claim that sharpei comes either from smooth-haired chow chow, or from ancient mastiffs. Chinese shar-pei and chow-chow existed at the same time, and there are similarities in the composition and appearance of these breeds. In addition, only these two of all known dog breeds have a blue-black pigmentation on their tongue.
DNA analysis confirms that the sharpei is at least 3000 years old — that is, it belongs to the group of the most ancient dog breeds and is a direct descendant of one of the four basic breeds from which all current dog breeds originated.
During the Han Dynasty
It is most likely that sharpei has existed for many centuries in the southern provinces of China on the coast of the South China Sea. Evidence indicates that the breed was known at least during the Han Dynasty (202 BC — 220), and sculptural images of dogs from burial grounds are often cited as proof. Clay figurines represent squat square-format dogs with a tail in a ring and a head with a sullen frowning expression. However, it is impossible to uniquely identify these images with the ancestors of sharpei, because Chinese art is characterized by a high degree of stylization, and dogs have never been among the favorite objects of the image of Chinese artists.
Versions of the fighting nature of the breed
It is almost certain that the Chinese sharpei or one of his ancestors were fighting dogs. This "sport" is answered by the addition of the breed, especially powerful jaws that can grab and hold the opponent. The prickly coat protects the sharpey from damage, as it is unpleasant for the enemy to keep it in his mouth. Therefore, there is an assumption that the ancestors of the modern Chinese sharpei are fighting dogs from the town of Tai—Li, near Canton. According to historians, local peasants and landowners loved dogfights, turning them into gambling. Other evidence indicates that pirates and sailors were fond of fighting, spending time in the port.
During the Han Dynasty, trade routes were opened. The Roman Empire was in its heyday, and Roman merchants offered many large, powerful dogs that attracted dogfighting enthusiasts. This gives credence to the theory that the career of Chinese shar-pei as fighting dogs was short-lived, since they could not compete with much heavier and taller Molossian (mastiff-like) breeds.
Transformaof the breed into a hunting onetion
Over time, the sharpey turned into a universal peasant dog, suitable for both home protection and hunting. The Han Dynasty period was favorable for Chinese peasants. Liu Bang, the founder of the dynasty, who became the Han Emperor in 206 BC, took effective measures to restore the economy, develop construction and help the peasants. Thanks to this, the well-being of the population has significantly increased, people no longer had to continuously take care of survival, and they turned to not so important occupations. After the victory over hunger, dogs turned into something more than a source of food. Hunting became popular among the nobility, who started large dog packs for these purposes, into which sharpey fit perfectly — strong and intelligent, able to catch up and grab even large prey.
The number of dog owners during the Han Dynasty was very large, but during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), brutal wars and famine led to a sharp decline in interest in the breed.
Extermination of the breed
The Chinese Communists, who came to power in the 1940s, dealt the strongest blow to Chinese dogs, including sharpeys. They considered pets a luxury and imposed exorbitant taxes on dog owners. Later, Mao Zedong issued a decree declaring pets "a symbol of the uselessness of the privileged class" and ordered their mass destruction to begin — so during the "Cultural Revolution" this breed (along with all the others) was almost completely destroyed. By 1950, only a few sharpey litters were known to exist in Taiwan and Macao.
Restoration of the breed
In 1965, S. M. Chen bred a sharpey named Lucky. A year later, Lucky was acquired by breeder Herman Smith and became the first sharpey imported to the United States (the dog was not registered until 1970), and over the next two years 5 dogs were imported to the United States.
In 1971 , Dogs magazine published an article about rare breeds with a picture of a sharpey and the caption: "This may be the last surviving member of the breed." After seeing this article, breeder Matgo Low turned to American dog lovers with a request for help in saving sharpeys from extinction and presented a concrete plan for the revival of the breed.
From 1970 to 1975, a small group of people searched for and bought surviving dogs, transporting them to Hong Kong to restore the breed. These few dogs became the founders of the Chinese sharpei, which has spread all over the world today. Since the existence of the breed remained under threat, there was not much to choose, and it was necessary to use all at least some valuable bloodlines. Dogs of various types participated in the first mating, as a rule, without a documented pedigree. In order to return to the breed some semblance of the original type of sharpey, inbreeding was resorted to.
The publication of Lowe's article prompted more than 2,000 requests for the purchase of sharpies. At the same time, the imported sharpei were very different from their current relatives — first of all, high-legged, graceful, dry bones and height at the withers.
Official breed registration
The breed was first registered in the USA under the name "Chinese Fighting Dog" in 1971 by the "American Dog Breeders Association" (en: American Dog Breeders Association, ADBA), and under the name "sharpey" — in 1973 (at the same time the Chinese Shar-pei Club of America, CSPCA appeared[10]). The first standard was approved in 1976, the breed was recognized by the International Cynological Federation (FCI) — standard No. 309 of 04/14/1999.
In December 1973, the first Chinese sharpei was exhibited at the All-American dog show Golden Gate Kennel Club Show. On November 9, 1976, the first Chinese Sharpei pedigree was issued. In 1978, the first specialized exhibition of sharpies was held in Hinckley, Illinois. On February 22, 1979, at the IV meeting of the CSPCA, the official name of the breed was approved — "Chinese sharpey", the first breed standard was adopted. In 1985, the Chinese Sharpey breed was recognized by the United Kennel Club (en:United Kennel Club, USA), October 8, 1991 — by the American Kennel Club (AKC). In the early 1990s, the first representatives of the breed appeared in Russia.
